Achilles' Heel
by Alania Black
Summary: 27 OCAUHPSM: NLRL. "I know you and Lupin are at it, Longbottom. You're sick, the both of you." "Really, Malfoy?" Neville leaned right in, far too close for comfort. "Prove it."


This is part 27of the OFFICIAL CHIBI ALANIA UNWRITTEN HARRY POTTER SLASH MONTH!

_This month, from Monday July 11th 2005 until Tuesday August 9th 2005, I am having an Unwritten Harry Potter Slash Month - I have found 30 different Harry Potter slash couples that have 3 or less fics written about them in and each day, I will post a one-shot fic about that couple._

_1 month: 30 days: 30 couples: 30 fics: 1 author._

_Now, for the fun part! On the 31st August, one person who has shown me support and encouragement will find a lovely little email in their inbox offering them a fantastic prize for their support._

_So, review (leave email addresses if you haven't logged in, please), give me support and ye shall receive threefold!_

And today we have Mr. Remus Lupin and Mr. Neville Longbottom.

So, on with the fic!

WARNINGS: Man/boy love, slash, AU.

DISCLAIMER: Jump up and down a lot and scream "I own it." Did it work? Do you own it? No? In that case, I don't own it either.

SUMMARY: #27; OCAUHPSM: Neville Longbottom/Remus Lupin.

NOTE: Set in Seventh Year, Remus has returned as Muggle Studies Professor. Mentions Achilles and Patroclus from Greek Mythology. Very strange, I know, but I had to find something.

Achilles' Heel.

"We have been studying the Illiad for the past week, and in this time we have heard a lot of Patroclus. Today we will be focusing only on this character and his relationship with Achilles." Remus, newly returned as Muggle Studies Professor, told the class. This particular class was one of his most difficult, consisting of the Slytherin and Gryffindor Seventh Years, who were the first to be subjected to the compulsory classes. Dumbledore had decided at the end of the war that this was the best course of action - his students may have escaped the battle mostly unscathed, however he did not wish to see any more of them fall in the way Tom had.

Remus surveyed his class, noticing the small surprises he hadn't seen in their third year. For example, the dark haired Italian Slytherin - Zabini, he thought - was sitting with Finnigan, and the looks they were exchanging were a lot closer to passion than hatred. Harry was sitting with Neville in the front row, while Ron and Hermione (engaged now, he believed) sat at a desk next to him. His godson was working hard with Neville, and the mousy Gryffindor was a lot more confident now. Malfoy was still his usual self, although Remus had noticed a lot of interest in their lessons now they were studying Muggle Literature. The boy had culture, at least.

"Can anyone tell me about Patroclus?" He was shocked, as always it seemed, when Neville raised his hand as well as Hermione to answer the question. "Mr. Longbottom." Neville blushed a little, but answered confidently, with only a hint of a waver in his voice.

"Patroclus and his father went to live with Achilles' father after Patroclus accidentally killed one of his friends. Patroclus was made Achilles' squire, and they became friends and, it is believed, lovers. When Achilles refused to fight at the battle of Troy, Patroclus stole his armour and went to fight as him instead. Patroclus was killed, and Achilles entered the battle, killing hector in vengeance and dragging his body around the walls of Troy. Patroclus was Achilles' Achilles Heel, in a way. Achilles only fought in the battle because of Patroclus, the younger man was his driving force and his passion."

"Wait a second, they were fags?" Draco sneered. Neville looked at him, amusement shining in his eyes.

"They were not _gay_, Malfoy. Men in Ancient Greece were expected not only to marry and raise children, but also to be available for friendship and love with worthy youths, not to the exclusion of marriage but as its necessary complement. The underlying philosophy was that the adult lover gave the youth all that was good and noble in him to help his passage into manhood. That a man should be attracted both to lovely women and to youths was seen as natural and normal. If you're really confused, Malfoy, why don't you ask your father to explain it to you? I'm certain he's a well of information about _that_ particular subject." The rest of the class laughed, and Remus couldn't hide his own little smirk. Malfoy paled and narrowed his eyes.

"What would you know about my father, Longbottom? Keep your fat nose in your own business." He sneered. Remus decided to interrupt before this went too far.

"Neville is quite right about all this. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now, can anyone tell me what was _unusual_ about Patroclus and Achilles' relationship? Neville."

"Patroclus and Achilles were a lot closer than most - the relationships were designed for teaching and coming of age; it was about sex, not love, but Achilles truly loved Patroclus. Also, they were quite near each other's age. They were more peers than anything else. However, normal relationships were between an older man and an youth - his apprentice or student, more often than not."

"Teacher/ student relationships? Pedophiles." Malfoy interrupted.

"Again, you're wrong. Really young boys were illegal then as they are now. The relationship would have been between teenagers, not children."

Remus decided that a change of topic was in order, before they started a full blown argument in the middle of class. He moved on to discuss Patroclus' motivation for joining the battle, carefully selecting someone other than Neville - the boy had earned enough points, really.

: :

He was just leaving the classroom to go to lunch when he heard it. The argument had obviously been going on for a few minutes, and it had become quite full blown.

"Fucking fag, accusing my father of being like you." Malfoy spat at Neville. Harry and Hermione were holding Ron back, Crabbe and Goyle were cracking their knuckles menacingly and Seamus and Blaise were - _laughing at them?_ Huh, hardly surprising, really. Everyone knew Malfoy was as gay as a box of hats.

"Okay, break it up here, please. Now, what's this all about?"

"Your little Patroclus is contaminating the area, that's what!" Malfoy growled at him.

"Patroclus?" Remus asked, genuinely confused.

"Malfoy seems to think I know all about Patroclus because you and I are attempting a repeat of history." Remus adopted a puzzled expression. Did that mean what he thought it meant.

"A what?"

"He thinks we're having a relationship." Neville murmured in his ear. Remus flushed and cleared his throat.

"Twenty points from Slytherin for baseless accusations. And a further ten points for starting an argument. And a further five points for prejudiced behaviour."

Malfoy watched as Remus and the Gryffindors left, angrily. As Neville brushed past him, he grabbed him and pushed him against the wall.

"I know you and Lupin are fucking, Longbottom. You're sick, the both of you." Neville smirked at him, eerily reminiscent of the blonde boy growling at him.

"Really, Malfoy?" Neville leaned right in, far too close for comfort. "Prove it." And Neville broke away, following Remus and the others. Remus had stopped and watched as Neville passed, safely away from the angry Slytherin.

"And a further twenty points for assaulting another student."

"Fifty-five points just because Longbottom's finally grow a pair? Nice, Draco, real nice." Blaise's voice followed them down the hall.

: :

Remus noticed that Neville grew closer to him over the next few weeks. Every time Malfoy was nearby, Neville would act just this side of right, and would flaunt Malfoy's inability to pull them up on any relationship. It was a cruel game, but Remus found himself going along with it. He knew what it was like to spend your time being put down by someone, and he would have loved to have had something like this to taunt Malfoy Senior with.

Malfoy was going to break, Remus knew. The boy was following one of them everywhere, and he should have realised by now that there was no way either of them could be in a relationship with the other. But he was still determined to pin something on them.

When he finally did break, it was not in the way that Remus would have suspected. The boy actually went to Dumbledore, and told him that he believed Remus was in a relationship with Neville. Dumbledore, of course, called Remus in.

"Remus, my boy, take a seat. Lemon Drop?" Remus accepted one of the little yellow candies, and settled back for the imminent conversation. "How is Mr. Longbottom faring in your classes, Remus?" Remus nodded a little.

"Very well, since his confidence has increased, he's become a lot more vocal. Quite a well of knowledge on our subjects, actually."

"Yes, and no help from you at all?"

"No, Sir. I've made sure to keep a professional distance from my classes. Mr. Longbottom has borrowed my copy of the Illiad, however. That's not really a problem, I was actually quite pleased that he was giving such commitment to his studies."

"I have decided, however, to remove Mr. Longbottom from your lessons. He will be taking his lessons with me from now on."

"Sir? I hardly think that is necessary." Remus protested. Dumbledore looked at him knowingly, staring down his half-moon glasses at him. Remus fought the urge to fidget. Albus couldn't know of his growing attraction for the boy, fuelled by his sudden upswing in contact.

"I think it is very necessary. I would like for you to read a part of the rule book out for me, if you would be so kind, Remus. My eyesight is not what it once was." Remus shakily looked down at the page and began reading.

"_No teacher may engage in any sort of inappropriate relationship with a pupil. Such relationship may be punishable by the loss of his or her job, and a possible sentence in Azkaban, as well as a mark on his or her records. However, there are exceptions to this rule, these exceptions being thus: The student is of age, and the student is not enrolled in the teacher's classes. In this case, the relationship between the two people concerned is not that of teacher/pupil, but one of two equal adults, and their relationship, as long as it remains private, is their own business. However, the teacher would be unable to be involved in any of the pupil's grades or influence any other teacher's opinions of the pupil._" Remus finished reading, wide-eyed. "Albus... Are you granting me permission to be involved with Neville?"

"Neville is a grown adult, as are you. He is no longer your pupil, anything else does not concern me as an employer. However, as a friend I would like to say that Neville has always seemed very taken with you, after you were so kind and helpful to him in his Third Year. Any infatuation on his part would not be inconceivable." If Dumbledore's eyes had twinkled any more, they would have needed a Ministry regulation. Remus flushed, tendrils of excitement and nervousness curling in his abdomen. Neville liked him?

Remus had fallen for Neville when the boy had come to him in the first week of term and asked to borrow Remus' copy of the Illiad until he got his own. When Neville returned a week later, he began talking about it, with a delight that Remus hadn't believed anyone else capable of in regards to the written word. Neville had begun talking to him regularly, engaging him in conversations for hours at a time. The boy had become so confident and yet he was still as sweet and earnest as he had always been. He didn't care about Remus' condition, either. Remus had believed, after Sirius, that he would never find anyone else, but Neville was beginning to change his opinion. Training the boy to help fight in a battle that he should, really, not have to be involved in hadn't helped with his infatuation.

As Remus left, he passed Neville on the stairs. The boy brushed past him, smiling sweetly as he did. Remus caught his arm as he passed, and tugged him a little closer.

"Come to my rooms when you're finished." Neville frowned, looking a little confused, but nodded anyway.

Remus had been reading his book to give him something to do while Neville spoke to Dumbledore. He jumped when he heard a soft knock on the door, and hurried to open it, squashing his rising panic. Was he really about to get into a relationship with a student? What on earth was he getting himself into?

Neville was standing on the other side, fidgeting nervously. He looked up at Remus when the door opened, and tried to speak. After a few failed attempts to say something, Remus took pity on him.

"Come in, Neville." Neville started as Remus used his given name for the first time and stepped into the room. Remus spied Malfoy watching them open-mouthed, and smirked in his direction. "Twenty points to Slytherin, for being as much of a meddling fool as Dumbledore."


End file.
